CHECKLISTS

Posted on June 1, 2018 by randscallawayffm

Timothy and Titus – Inconspicuous Leadership

1 Timothy 5 checklistI am a list maker…even in retirement from my secular work. For me, what doesn’t get listed, doesn’t get done. It is also very rewarding for me to check that item off the list when it is accomplished. The list has a progression of priorities. One task cannot happen until another task is completed. And so life goes with my lists guiding my behavior and productivity.

As I journal each morning in my conversational prayer with God, the Father, His Spirit guides me to make another list that helps me to mature and grow in Him. I am convicted of some of those “fruits of the Spirit” that I have not tended to or cultivated, have ignored or left undone. His Holy Spirit redirects my thoughts and helps me form a list of tasks that will help me improve my behavior. “Keep a close check on yourself”, writes Paul to Timothy. For me, that means to make a spiritual checklist that keeps me in close contact with the will and purpose of our Father, God and helps me to grow closer to Him.

We can do nothing of significance without God. I am convinced that He guides us to all things that are good for our growth and aid our learning about Him and how He works. Paul also gives Timothy sound advice about how to treat those whom God has called to lead with character traits with another list of how to lead. This list still applies to us today. The theme of this episode seems to be; Know God, Know Yourself, Know The Message, Know Your Audience. Our deeds, good and bad, will be evident. Be driven by God’s love in us.

1 Timothy 5, The Message

17-18 Give a bonus to leaders who do a good job, especially the ones who work hard at preaching and teaching. Scripture tells us, “Don’t muzzle a working ox” and “A worker deserves his pay.”

19 Don’t listen to a complaint against a leader that isn’t backed up by two or three responsible witnesses.

20 If anyone falls into sin, call that person on the carpet. Those who are inclined that way will know right off they can’t get by with it.

21-23 God and Jesus and angels all back me up in these instructions. Carry them out without favoritism, without taking sides. Don’t appoint people to church leadership positions too hastily. If a person is involved in some serious sins, you don’t want to become an unwitting accomplice. In any event, keep a close check on yourself. And don’t worry too much about what the critics will say. Go ahead and drink a little wine, for instance; it’s good for your digestion, good medicine for what ails you.

24-25 The sins of some people are blatant and march them right into court. The sins of others don’t show up until much later. The same with good deeds. Some you see right off, but none are hidden forever.

1 Timothy 5 check yourselfLEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE #6: Keep a Close Check on Yourself

Leadership Characteristics –

–Fully rely on God. Trust Him with all you are and all you have. We are His. All we have is His.
–Ask God “if there is anything offensive to you, cleanse me.” as the Psalmist prayed.
–Repent with a heart and mind not wanting to return to the old life.
–Look full into the face of Jesus, our Master, Lord and Savior with laser focus so we know what direction to take next.
–“Keep a close check on yourself.” Avoid, “he did it, I can, too” or “my sin is not as bad as his sin” or “everybody’s doing it” mentality.
–Ask God for wisdom, insight and understanding.
–Allow God’s transformation to continue in our lives.
–Ask God to make your lists of to BE and to DO. HE will prioritize your lists in ways you cannot imagine! Where He guides, He provides help all along the journey.
–Do all in a Spirit of love for God and others.
–Care enough to confront others with God’s love and concern for their spiritual well-being and growth.

Warning   The things on our spiritual check list can never be crossed off because we’ll be working on them our whole lives. By listing we are reminding ourselves of what we need to work on to “keep a close check” on our lives. It is only by The Atonement of Jesus Christ can we accomplish anything of eternal significance.

Dear Heavenly Father,
You have convinced me that we must do spiritual “business” with You each day to improve our being in You. Thank you for helping us on this journey. Thank you for Your Holy Spirit that points out things in our behavior that could cause us to crash…before crashing. Thank you for always being with us, guiding and directing, loving and protecting and challenging us to grow and bear Fruit. Continue to transform me. Transform your church. Transform the world through your church.
In Jesus Name, Amen

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GOD IS ETERNAL AND FOREVER FAITHFUL!

Posted on August 8, 2026 by randscallawayffm

Life is unfair.  Life is not always what we think it should be. Life here is hard for all—sinners and saints. When sin and all the characteristics of the Enemy entered the God’s perfect world of beauty that God created for Adam and Eve and their offspring; Life became hard.  People became harder to deal with as humans fell for evil’s way to live. Evil teaches us to live for self to satisfy self.

When we “strive to have it all, our way” evil character traits began to grow as side effects of evil which give birth to intense hate, bitterness, envy, jealousy, abuse of each other while holding onto grudges against each other.  Wars are raged and battles are fought as we rank each other according to how we perceive what is good without asking God who is Good.  God has no favorites among His created in His own image humans; but we rank, file and divide humans over the color and shades from light to dark of our skin on the outside, the language we speak, where we live, how we live, along with what we have and hold.  Yes, sin filled people are a divided people with no hope of winning this battle for our souls. Unity eludes the divided and isn’t even on our agendas.  We want what we want and will not be satisfied until we get it all.

Love does not know them and they do not know love for Love is of God. (1 John 4) Their love is cheap and abusive as they use “good thoughts” with earthly, overused, pious words about love to manipulate others.  This is not the Love of God.

“All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, writes Paul (Romans 3) who should know because he, too was a sinner who called himself the “chief among sinners” until forgiven by Jesus who pursued Him on the road to Damacus to cause more trouble.  Jesus’ voice pierced the heart of Saul, “Why are you persecuting Me” the truth expressed as Saul/Paul thought he was waging a physical war against believers in Jesus to please God! Saul repented through blinded eyes to evil and opened eyes to a brand new life with Jesus.  Together, Jesus changed the current way of thinking in the Roman world through a zealous man named Saul. The SECRET, according to Saul whose name changed with his new life to Paul was a transformed way of life with “Christ living in me”. (Colossians 1:27

Life is harder when we cling to bitterness and rage against people we think should respond a certain way—our way.  Life is physically harder when worry overcomes our being to cause us to be emotionally unstable, easily exhausted and mentally unfocused.  Evil works hard to shift our minds from Christ and all that is good for us as promised by God Himself! 

Jesus gave this short and concise message of Love with a reminder of how to overcome this world with Him to his disciples just before going willingly and obediently to the cross to pay our debts of sin;

“Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”—Jesus, John 16:31-33

And Jesus IS coming back, you know, to conquer evil in the final battle in the war that has already be won!  (Revelation)

This message of truth is enough for all to give praise to God for it is HIS love in us, His power working through us while living within us that creates a force to be reckoned with by evil.  Evil cannot separate us from the Love of God growing within us. Paul writes to a divided church in need of unity that only God’s love and Truth can provide with this message;

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13

Jesus is asking us today, “Do you really believe all that God says to be really real, true, unshakable, reliable, and unchanging?”  Our answer will be life altering.

“I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace.”—Jesus

Jesus was sent to overcome the world of sin, wipe out the sins of the world and conquer death once and for all.  New life is given to all who believe along with the bonus of eternal life with God!  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

THIS is the reason we stand in awe of our faithful God who is compassionate in all His ways.  Hallelujah, indeed!  Praise God from whom ALL blessing flow!  Praise God because He is God!  There is no one like our God!  God is the Love we seek and is the Love we will receive when we run to God!

Our shortest psalm to read this morning is probably the most profound!

Psalm 117, The Message

1-2 Praise God, everybody!
Applaud God, all people!
His love has taken over our lives;
God’s faithful ways are eternal.
    Hallelujah!

Lord,

Thank you for saving my soul and making me whole all because of your great love for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I raise a hallelujah this morning as I talk with you and listen to your Word to me that strengthens my unshakable resolve to believe you.

YOU are God and no one else is You.  I believe.  I’m yours.  I’m listening. I’m ready.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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ONLY GOD

Posted on August 7, 2026 by randscallawayffm

The psalmist could not trust in himself for his own rescue and deliverance, nor could he trust the people around him, some of whom were liars, but he knew he could trust in the Lord and call on Him for help, so he did on more than one occasion.  Calling on the Lord was his habit. This “habit of communication” actually gives God pleasure for God delights in all the details of our lives!  Our God is personal to us. Only our God wants to know all that is on our minds even though He sees what is on our hearts before we see it.  How blessed are we to know that God “humbles Himself” (also translated “bends down”) to pay attention and concentrate on what we are saying to Him!

Only a God as great as Jehovah can hear the voices of millions of His children who are praying to Him at the same time and know what each one is saying and will respond with goodness, love, mercy, and grace.  “How great is our God, sing with me, how great is our God…”

Psalm 116, The Message

1-6 I love God because he listened to me,
    listened as I begged for mercy.
He listened so intently
    as I laid out my case before him.
Death stared me in the face,
    hell was hard on my heels.
Up against it, I didn’t know which way to turn;
    then I called out to God for help:
“Please, God!” I cried out.
    “Save my life!”
God is gracious—it is he who makes things right,
    our most compassionate God.
God takes the side of the helpless;
    when I was at the end of my rope, he saved me.

7-8     I said to myself, “Relax and rest.
    God has showered you with blessings.
    Soul, you’ve been rescued from death;
    Eye, you’ve been rescued from tears;
    And you, Foot, were kept from stumbling.”

9-11 I’m striding in the presence of God,
    alive in the land of the living!
I stayed faithful, though overwhelmed,
    and despite a ton of bad luck,
Despite giving up on the human race,
    saying, “They’re all liars and cheats.”

12-19 What can I give back to God
    for the blessings he’s poured out on me?
I’ll lift high the cup of salvation—a toast to God!
    I’ll pray in the name of God;
I’ll complete what I promised God I’d do,
    and I’ll do it together with his people.
When they arrive at the gates of death,
    God welcomes those who love him.

Oh, God, here I am, your servant,
    your faithful servant: set me free for your service!
I’m ready to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice
    and pray in the name of God.
I’ll complete what I promised God I’d do,
    and I’ll do it in company with his people,
In the place of worship, in God’s house,
    in Jerusalem, God’s city.
Hallelujah!

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND—TO A GOD WHO LISTENS?

God teaches us with every trial, circumstance and act of suffering we endure on this earth in our imperfect world with lessons that build our faith with opportunities to help others seek God, find Him, and give Him glory!  Jesus was our supreme example as the Master Teacher who was God in the flesh!  (Philippians 2)

So, how do we respond to how God responds to us?  We listen intently with focus on Him.  We listen to God with surrendered, willing hearts of trust and obedience to Him. 

Only then are we ready to listen to others who are struggling and need someone to see and hear them.  Our world is overflowing with overwhelmed people who just need a listening ear—not to fix their problem, but to listen.  For it is in the listening that value is restored.  No matter where we are or what position we hold in this life; we must be willing to stop, bend down humbly to listen to truly hear someone in need—just like Jesus did. (Read all the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John for examples!)  Jesus also prayed for all, (including us before going to the cross) and gave God all the Glory.  “I only do what the Father tells me”, Jesus said often. “Not my will, but yours be done”.

Remember that it is only Jesus who saves and rescues; our work is to lead them to the One who died and rose again to deliver all who believe in Him from sin and set free.  Then God gives all who believe Jesus the gift of eternal life.  (John 3:16-17) No condemnation—only redemption for all who believe.  Jesus saves.  We do not for we can’t even save ourselves!  Jesus does for us what we cannot do for ourselves—paid all the sin-debt we owe forever.

So, we don’t listen with minds ready to condemn others of their sins with how to “fix it”—our commission is to tell them the Good News, baptizing in the Name of Jesus, with how to be a disciple of Jesus, Son of God.  (Matthew 28:20) It’s all in the Word of God made flesh in Jesus.  We do not have to add our own opinions or commentary.  It’s all about listening then leading souls to Jesus who delivers us from our sin.  Jesus is the answer—the only answer to all the questions of this world and beyond!

God is delighted when we develop His character of “bending down” with humbled compassion to listen to others.  When we point people to God who is the One who sent His Son, Jesus to save us and deliver us from all our sins; God gives us His Holy Spirit with power to say His words that will help, not hinder, souls in need of rescuing.  We are to “raise the cup of salvation” and declare who God is and what His Son has provided!

“I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.”—Jesus, Matthew 25:40

Lord,

I surrender all to you this morning, all that I am or hope to be, I give to you as an offering.  Lead me.  Cleanse my heart, renew my mind. Give me the words to say.  Help me to make the most of every opportunity to raise the cup of salvation so others will know and believe.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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WE BECOME WHO WE TRUST

Posted on August 6, 2026 by randscallawayffm

We became instant friends in high school.  We first met on the bus. She was new to our school.  Her family moved to Oklahoma City from Louisiana. Our Oklahoma accent did not compare to her deep drawl, southern way of speaking. Renee brought out the best in me and I hope I did that for her.  She was quiet and a bit shy at first but not for long as I introduced her to all my friends and showed her the way around our school.  

A connection brought us closer as friends!  Renee, being from “Cajun country” with the French family name of Charbonne, brought us even closer for we had a French connection!  My grandpa’s family was French and even spoke French in their home when he was a boy.  It was because of him and my adoration of him that I took French in high school.  Renee, at the insistence of her family also took the same French language classes with me.  We practiced our French lessons together and with the help of my grandpa, we learned how to speak the words of this language correctly—minus the southern drawl! 

What I noticed about myself, and I’m smiling now just thinking about it, was the more I was with my good friend, Renee, the more I began to act and speak like her.  I caught myself saying my words with the same southern drawl as my word syllables became more accented and longer—just like Renee!  My family noticed it along with my friends from church.  Then I noticed it!

Psalm 115’s warning makes total sense to me!  It did then and it does now.  We naturally, without even thinking about it, develop similar characteristics of those who we trust, confide in and love being with the most. When we are not with them, we are planning the next time we meet!   This isn’t a phenomenon; it’s just fact.  However, when we cherish our things and admire people as life itself while putting God aside as a mere “placeholder”; it becomes a form of idol worship!  Trouble is on the horizon when we put all our trust in things or humans in ways that block our view of God. It is then that those things and people become the idols of our affection and attention.

God created within us a need to belong—because we belong to Him!  We belong to Him who created us in His own image.  We need Him who created us to help us be more like Him in every way.  God gives us His power to transform when we surrender to His will because of our complete love for Him, knowing He has our best interests at heart and wants the very best for us.  God does for us what no man or women, family member, or intimate friends can provide—salvation with eternal life!  Because of Jesus, we can approach God with confidence. His most important commandments to us come in a specific order. 1. Love God. 2. Love Others like God loves us!  God first and always. We don’t know love until we know God and are in relationship with God through Jesus our Lord!

My great relationship with Renee as a young adult in high school was provided by our God who we both believed and trusted on “account of His merciful love and faithful ways”.  To God be the glory!  As we grew in our relationship with each other; we grew in our relationship with God.  Because God was, is, and always will be the most important relationship of all; we learned to become more like Him in every way.

Psalm 115, The Message


1-2 Not for our sake, God, no, not for our sake,
    but for your name’s sake, show your glory.
Do it on account of your merciful love,
    do it on account of your faithful ways.
Do it so none of the nations can say,
    “Where now, oh where is their God?”

3-8 Our God is in heaven
    doing whatever he wants to do.
Their gods are metal and wood,
    handmade in a basement shop:
Carved mouths that can’t talk,
    painted eyes that can’t see,
Tin ears that can’t hear,
    molded noses that can’t smell,
Hands that can’t grasp, feet that can’t walk or run,
    throats that never utter a sound.
Those who make them have become just like them,
    have become just like the gods they trust.

9-11 But you, Israel: put your trust in God!
    —trust your Helper! trust your Ruler!
Clan of Aaron, trust in God!
    —trust your Helper! trust your Ruler!
You who fear God, trust in God!
    —trust your Helper! trust your Ruler!

12-16 O God, remember us and bless us,
    bless the families of Israel and Aaron.
And let God bless all who fear God—
    bless the small, bless the great.
Oh, let God enlarge your families—
    giving growth to you, growth to your children.
May you be blessed by God,
    by God, who made heaven and earth.
The heaven of heavens is for God,
    but he put us in charge of the earth.

17-18 Dead people can’t praise God—
    not a word to be heard from those buried in the ground.
But we bless God, oh yes—
    we bless him now, we bless him always!
Hallelujah!

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“I am the Lord, Your God. You will have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20

Friends we admire can easily become our idols.  Don’t let your friends become your idols of worship.  They can’t handle the pressure of this dysfunctional way of relationship and we sin against God when we idolize them. (That includes pastors and leaders!)

Things and/or people who stand between God and us and block our view of God, hindering us in our efforts to become more like Him has been brought to us by our sponsor who is the earthly prince of evil.  Don’t fall for it.  Avoid idols of any kind at all costs or it will cost us our very lives.  “Dead people can’t praise God”.  Come alive in Christ who is Life eternal!

May all response with praise to God because He first loved us and we now love Him back in a growing intimate relationship with desire to become like Him who made us!

May we worship God for He alone is worthy of our praise!

May we respond by offering ourselves in surrender to His will and not our own.  There is no one like our God. There is no one I would rather be like than our God!

Lord,

Cleanse our hearts, remove all the “idols” that are taking up space. Renew our minds, shift our thinking from earthbound to Kingdom of heaven thoughts. Refresh our souls with your new tender mercies for today that gives us confidence of you in us and us in you. Continually restore and replenish the joy and peace of your salvation at work within us.  To you be all the glory, honor, and praise!  Hallelujah! 

In Jesus Name, Amen 

I believe.  I’m listening for I am yours. Lead me, Lord.

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THE GOD OF JACOB AND OUR GOD—SAME GOD!

Posted on August 5, 2026 by randscallawayffm

We read the Bible passages in the Old Testament that proclaim how mighty God was, is, and is to come.  We read the stories of miraculous power and faithful compassions of God from Adam to David. We worship God through the Psalms of David and learn the wisdom of Solomon jotted down in Proverbs.  All these words of worship, prayer, praise, and wisdom come from the same God who Jacob wrestled and finally surrendered to in the desert.  The same God is waiting on our surrender. 

From the line of David we read of the generations who followed who fulfilled God’s prophecies proclaimed by His prophets of a child to be born humbly to a young couple in Bethlehem.  Not just any couple but two people from the line of David, Mary and Joseph, who were fully devoted to God.  It was the God of Jacob they worshiped, awesomely feared, and wholly followed.  God is the same God who is with us always and the One we worship today. 

Can we just pause before reading and meditating on our Psalm to let this truth soak into our minds that struggle to stay focused in a busy world that tries to distract us minute by minute with its demanding attention?  Can we pause to “Be still and know that I AM God”, God asks for our good. Be still and know God.  Be still and let everything else go to focus on the God who was, is, and is to come!  Be still.  Be one with the God of Jacob.  Just Be.

Psalm 114, The Message


1-8 After Israel left Egypt,
    the clan of Jacob left those barbarians behind;
Judah became holy land for him,
    Israel the place of holy rule.
Sea took one look and ran the other way;
    River Jordan turned around and ran off.
The mountains turned playful and skipped like rams,
    the hills frolicked like spring lambs.
What’s wrong with you, Sea, that you ran away?
    and you, River Jordan, that you turned and ran off?
And mountains, why did you skip like rams?
    and you, hills, frolic like spring lambs?
Tremble, Earth! You’re in the Lord’s presence!
    in the presence of Jacob’s God.
He turned the rock into a pool of cool water,
    turned flint into fresh spring water.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We learn that there is no one like our God who can move mountains and change the course of rivers.  God is the same; He never changes in his love and care for His created.  There is no one like our God who miraculously brings life to dead men walking and women who are broken by life.  He gives help to the poor and makes a way for orphans to have a forever home.  God stills calls, sends, equips, provides, and protects armies of believers to be His hands and feet in a broken world.

With God, everything is impossible.  Without God…yikes, I don’t want to think about it, because we see nothing but misery in the eyes of those who have turned away from Him. 

Paul took the command of Jesus who commissioned His disciples to heart.  Remember the Great Commission?  “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”—Jesus, Matthew 28:18-20

Paul writes to the Corinthian church of this great commission with ways to accomplish the call as Chris’s love compels us…It is the Ministry of Reconciliation;

“ Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

So, our response is to not only see those without God but to do something about it!  ALL believers are called to reconcile those without God to God! We cannot save them, only Jesus saves them.  Our part is to point people to the One who saves and reconciles us to God once and for all!

It is not God’s desire that anyone perish. There is no human on earth that God does not love.  So, we are to love—like God loves us who sent His One and Only Son to reconcile us to Him! 

“Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.” 2 Peter 3:9, MSG

Peter’s words were a response to the people in the early church who wondered why Jesus had not returned yet. The letter explains that God is giving people more time to change.  Can you imagine God in heaven, leaning over to Jesus to say—“Just one more, wait, just one more…”?  That one more could be our child, sister, brother, neighbor, cashier, student, teacher…that “one more” for me this morning was with the woman who cut my hair! 

Don’t get shy for all the power comes from God’s Holy Spirit speaking through us with truth in words that are understandable—no matter the circumstance!

“When they drag you into their meeting places, or into police courts and before judges, don’t worry about defending yourselves—what you’ll say or how you’ll say it. The right words will be there. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words when the time comes.”—Jesus, Luke 12-11-12

The same God who helped Abraham, Issaac, and Jacob is the SAME God who speaks to us today.  Sigh, breathe in His Spirit.

Lord,

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, Amen

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I WILL SING OF MY REDEEMER

Posted on August 4, 2026 by randscallawayffm

As we read Psalm 113 both in NIV and The Message, many past and current melodies of praise are bombarding my mind!  In the melodies are memories of the saints of God who went before me in singing to the Redeemer of our souls.  I hear the bass and tenor of my dad and my uncle in the repeats of the refrains. I hear the melodies strongly played on the piano by my aunt with harmonies of alto strongly sang by my mom.  I hear the congregation joining them in praise like a heavenly choir.  All sang, no matter their abilities, as none of us were afraid or timid to make a joyful noise before the Lord!  When people sing of their Redeemer from their hearts; division diminishes and pure worship takes over.  God likes it that way. 

The Psalmists knew it and we know it.  Let’s just praise the Lord today, right where you are!  Listen as God puts rainbows of melodies in your hearts, too, as we praise Him.  This is my prayer for all who are reading this today.

I will sing of my Redeemer,
  And His wondrous love to me;
On the cruel cross He suffered,
  From the curse to set me free.

 Sing, oh, sing of my Redeemer,
  With His blood He purchased me,
On the cross He sealed my pardon,
    Paid the debt, and made me free.

I will tell the wondrous story,
  How my lost estate to save,
In His boundless love and mercy,
  He the ransom freely gave.

I will praise my dear Redeemer,
  His triumphant pow’r I’ll tell,
How the victory He giveth
  Over sin, and death, and hell.

I will sing of my Redeemer,
  And His heav’nly love to me;
He from death to life hath brought me,
  Son of God with Him to be.

(Lyrics: Philip Paul Bliss, 1838-1876, Music: James McGranahan, 1840-1907)

Psalm 113, The Message

3 Hallelujah!
You who serve God, praise God!
    Just to speak his name is praise!
Just to remember God is a blessing—
now and tomorrow and always.
From east to west, from dawn to dusk,
    keep lifting all your praises to God!

4-9 God is higher than anything and anyone,
    outshining everything you can see in the skies.
Who can compare with God, our God,
    so majestically enthroned,
Surveying his magnificent
    heavens and earth?

He picks up the poor from out of the dirt,
    rescues the forgotten who’ve been thrown out with the trash,
Seats them among the honored guests,
    a place of honor among the brightest and best.
He gives childless couples a family,
    gives them joy as the parents of children.
Hallelujah!

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We learn to praise God no matter our current circumstances.  Praising God gives Life to our souls!  When our hearts praise God our focus shifts from self and the Enemy and his demons who never ceases to distract us from God back to God.  In fact, the Enemy hates and flees from those who are engrossed in pure praise to our God!  His powers are limited when we praise God!  (Read that again!)

When we are fully focused on our praise at church instead of wondering if we turned the oven down on the Sunday meal or if others in the congregation are singing loud and strong enough; we glorify our God!  The Enemy of God is full of hate for God and hates our posture of praise and thanksgiving before God!  When we call on the Name of Jesus, our Enemy literally trembles!  Satan and his demon army knows Jesus well, knew Him before we knew Him!  Satan also knows the war has already been won by Jesus, but He will cause troubles until Jesus comes back on That Day to claim His own.  How do we know?  The Bible tells us so:

Take a moment and look at these verses:

  • James 2:19: States that demons believe God is one and shudder or tremble in fear.
  • Luke 10:17: The disciples return with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
  • Philippians 2:10-11: Every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, at the name of Jesus.  (God proclaimed this about Jesus)
  • Acts 16:18: Paul casts a spirit out of a woman by commanding it in the name of Jesus Christ. There is POWER in the name of Jesus!  And yes, this is another song of praise to our Lord!

But what is most important to think about is when our focus is continually on praising God; all the dark things and troublesome unbelievers of this world suddenly do indeed fall into the background of our thoughts. When we praise God with surrendered, pure hearts and focused minds on Him—there is no space left to worry about anything or anyone else!  Praise brings out the best in us as we glorify our God! God does not need our praise and adoration; we need to praise Him because our praise is good for us as it centers our beings on the One who created us in His own image, died and rose again to save us from our own self-centeredness!  Ah, there it is…the sin of self.

Yes, God knows exactly what we need—always!  And what we need most is to praise the One who knows us more than we know ourselves.  That’s probably why His first commandment is “I am the Lord your God… You shall have no other gods before me”, (Exodus 20:2) All other gods distract, deceive, cause division, with attempts to deconstruct our faith in the one true God who is active and alive today and desires His best for all who come before Him!  Guess what, self-centered us is the worst god of all to follow.  Worship God alone.

Max Lucado comments;

The next six psalms were used during the Passover, the Festival of Tabernacles, and other traditional Jewish festivals. Although the Israelites set aside one day a week to revere God, they used Scripture to encourage one another to have a thankful, loving attitude toward God.

Make no mistake. God has no ego problem. He does not reveal his glory for his good. We need to witness it for ours. We need a strong hand to pull us into a safe boat. And, once aboard, what becomes our priority?

Simple. Promote God. We declare his preeminence, “Hey! Strong boat over here! Able pilot! He can pull you out!”

Passengers promote the pilot. “Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness” (115:1). If we boast at all, we “boast in the Lord” (2Co 10:17).

The breath you took as you read that last sentence was given to you for one reason, that you might for another moment mirror the glory of the Lord (see 2Co 3:18). God awoke you and me this morning for one purpose: “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples” (1Ch 16:24).

“For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever!” (Ro 11:36). “There is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live” (1Co 8:6, emphasis added).

Why does the earth spin? For him.

Why do you have talents and abilities? For him.

Why do you have money or poverty? For him.

Strength or struggles? For him.

Everything and everyone exists to reveal his glory.

Including you.

Learn to continually praise God. Praise God while you do dishes and while you drive your car. Fill everyday moments with praise.

Lord,

I praise you and thank you for this psalm that prompted so many thoughts of YOU!  I am praising now and forever in all that I think, say, and do for you alone are God, Savior, and Lord.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I praise You from whom all blessings flow freely and forever!  To You be all glory, honor, and praise!

In Jesus Name, Amen

I’m yours and I’m listening with a ready heart to trust and obey for there’s no other Way…

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BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO IS UNFAZED, SPIRIT FIRM!

Posted on August 3, 2026 by randscallawayffm

We have said before and we will say it again with the Psalmist and others inspired to write truth—With God, everything.  Without God, nothing.  Blessed is the man and woman who revere God and cherish what He says.  When darkness comes, blessed people who truly believe God, wait for the morning sunrise to bring a new perspective to troubles in the light of day.  “Let the morning bring Word of your unfailing love; for all my trust is in you.” (Psalm 143—Read all of it to be greatly blessed within!)

I love Psalm 112 that describes our intimate relationship with God with all the healthy details that indicate and define our growth in Him.  Blessed does not mean temporary happiness with all things going our way.  To be blessed is having and holding on to the eternal connection and communion with a God we cannot see but have total trust in by our surrender to His will.  Being blessed does not mean God is our benefactor of all we want upon demand; Being blessed means God is the One and Only we trust for all we need.  And what a blessed thought it is to let go and let God for it relieves us of the load we carry unnecessarily to a God who knows what we need before we do and provides at just the right time!  Blessed is the man, woman and child who do not worry but rely completely on our Lord and Savior.  Blessed are we who know and relish His promises as well as His commandments that keep us always moving forward on the path to Him daily—no matter the outlaying circumstances that pop up on our journey.  God can handle all that comes along for He is Sovereign.

Yes, complete surrender to God is a blessed state of mind. 

Psalm 112, The Message

1-10 Hallelujah!
Blessed man, blessed woman, who fear God,
Who cherish and relish his commandments,
Their children robust on the earth,
And the homes of the upright—how blessed!

Their houses brim with wealth
And a generosity that never runs dry.
Sunrise breaks through the darkness for good people—
God’s grace and mercy and justice!

The good person is generous and lends lavishly;
No shuffling or stumbling around for this one,
But a sterling and solid and lasting reputation.
Unfazed by rumor and gossip,
Heart ready, trusting in God,
Spirit firm, unperturbed,
Ever blessed, relaxed among enemies,



They lavish gifts on the poor—
A generosity that goes on, and on, and on.
An honored life! A beautiful life!
Someone wicked takes one look and rages,
Blusters away but ends up speechless.
There’s nothing to the dreams of the wicked. Nothing.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God is supreme example of generosity. 

 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  John 3:16-17

God gave us His Son so that we could be reconciled (reconnected) to God forever—sin is removed to be remembered no more. There is nothing God will not forgive so that is no excuse for those who think with pride in their hearts that their sin too much for God to handle.  Have you read the Bible at all, we know from His Word that God is grieved by our sin but because His love is greater than our sin—He made a Way, the One and Only Way to remove it by the cleansing blood of His One and Only Son, once and for all.  Truth.  Whether we believe this or not—it is still Truth.

By God’s example and with His growing love within all who surrender; we desire to be like the One we adore in awe—So we give—generously to all in need.  We don’t seek to be God; we seek to be like God in His character and His chief characteristic is Generosity.  How generous are we?  How generous am I?  Pause to reflect prayerfully.

Blessed is the one who is generous, knowing that we can never outgive God! Generosity is a beautiful trait to see men and women created in the image of God Himself.  Blessed are those who have surrendered their lives committedly to His care and keeping.  Generosity is an outpouring of a heart surrendered to Jesus.

The best part of the blessings is so aptly described in The Message by Eugene Peterson;

Unfazed by rumor and gossip,
Heart ready, trusting in God,
Spirit firm, unperturbed,
Ever blessed, relaxed among enemies,
They lavish gifts on the poor—
A generosity that goes on, and on, and on.
An honored life! A beautiful life!

With God, everything. Without God, nothing.  Blessed versus cursed.

There is nothing to the dreams of the wicked—absolutely nothing.

Could this be what Jesus was trying to get all people to understand when he preached to thousands on the Mountain top that day?  (Matthew 5-7)  I think we are getting closer… 😉

Lord,

Thank you for always pointing out vividly the difference between walking humbly with you with a spirit firm, blessed state of mind and walking aimlessly in the world without you.  Cleanse our hearts, remove all that does not belong in them.  Renew our minds which transforms all we think, say, and do. Refresh our souls with your new tender mercies for today. And restore continually the joy and peace of your salvation at work with us to be all you created us to be.  I’m yours.  I’m listening, heart ready.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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OUR PERSONAL GOD

Posted on August 1, 2026 by randscallawayffm

Our God truly is a personal, intimately close God who knows everything about us, knows everything we know about Him, and loves with a love that is eternal, faithful and forever!  He isn’t concerned with how far we have come in our relationship with Him; what He does care about is each one’s commitment to keep believing and following Him whether we have been walking with Him for years or have just begun.  God is patient and kind. God is compassionate.  God is not watching to see if we fail so he can punish us; God is compassionately hovering over us with power to help us get back up again with His outstretched arm to pull us closer to Him!

God love is the same for each one of us. God shows no favorites.  We do not earn His love—God just loves.  We cannot buy His love—God is not for sale.  By His grace and mercy; God loves.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17 Read for wisdom and understanding so we can engage in the fullness of God’s love for us!

In those times, when we come close to becoming haughty or proud of how we  walk with Him while looking down on others who are toddling in their walk; pause to look inward, for our attitudes need adjusting and hearts softened.  Real wisdom, as this psalm proclaims at the end, is knowing who God is and what He does.  If a fearful awe of our God does not consume us as we stand before Him in prayer this morning then ask God what He wants from us. He will answer for our God is real, active, alive, always at work within us, and desires our love more than our performance of His love.  Yes, there is a difference.

Psalm 111, The Message

1-10 Hallelujah!
I give thanks to God with everything I’ve got—
Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation.

God’s works are so great, worth
A lifetime of study—endless enjoyment!
Splendor and beauty mark his craft;

His generosity never gives out.
His miracles are his memorial—
This God of Grace, this God of Love.

He gave food to those who fear him,
He remembered to keep his ancient promise.

He proved to his people that he could do what he said:
Hand them the nations on a platter—a gift!

He manufactures truth and justice;
All his products are guaranteed to last—
Never out-of-date, never obsolete, rust-proof.
All that he makes and does is honest and true:

He paid the ransom for his people,
He ordered his Covenant kept forever.

He’s so personal and holy, worthy of our respect.
The good life begins in the fear of God—
Do that and you’ll know the blessing of God.
His Hallelujah lasts forever!

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Lord,

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.  Lead us not into temptations to be proud but instead lead us to have hearts of trust and obedience to Your will as we walk humbly with you. Cleanse our hearts, remove all that does not belong. Renew our minds, transform what we think and how we respond to you and others, refresh our souls and fill them with Your Word of Truth. Restore the joy of your salvation continually at work within us.  Thank you for doing it again, and again, and again until we see you face to face in all your glory!

In Jesus Name, Amen

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KING-MAKER PUT HIS KING ON THE THRONE FOREVER!

Posted on July 31, 2026 by randscallawayffm

Psalm 110 gives us a glimpse into the powerful reign of the coming Messiah. Our next two Psalms will begin with “Praise the LORD.”  King David, the writer of this psalm is foretelling to the King of kings and LORD of lords while describing God’s good works, justice, righteousness, mercy, and compassion toward his people.

May we who truly believe God and all that God says, rejoice and be glad for all He has done, is doing and will do in our lives!  But most of all we must humbly praise God for who He is—the One and Only God who loves us forever.  Our response to God is to love Him back then love each other with all His love within us!

Life here may be unfair for us even right now with many unanswered questions floating on the horizon on our minds; but God’s ability with His Plan to redeem us through His Son, Jesus has been answered for all who believe Him!  I pray for all who are reading this to pause, reflect, and prayerfully settle the issue of salvation forever, once and for all times, right now!  I’m praying for you as you pray for me! 

Now, let us read what David wrote—about Jesus, who is to come, as our Messiah—the God who saves and be blessed by the reading and promise of Jesus!

Psalm 110, The Message

Of David. A psalm.

1-3 The word of God to my Lord:
    “Sit alongside me here on my throne
    until I make your enemies a stool for your feet.”
You were forged a strong scepter by God of Zion;
    now rule, though surrounded by enemies!
Your people will freely join you, resplendent in holy armor
    on the great day of your conquest,
Join you at the fresh break of day,
    join you with all the vigor of youth.

4-7 God gave his word and he won’t take it back:
    you’re the permanent priest, the Melchizedek priest.
The Lord stands true at your side,
    crushing kings in his terrible wrath,
Bringing judgment on the nations,
    handing out convictions wholesale,
    crushing opposition across the wide earth.
The King-Maker put his King on the throne;
    the True King rules with head held high!

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We learn from Warren Wiersbe, Bible Scholar;

This psalm is quoted or alluded to in the New Testament more than any other psalm. Verse 1 is referenced at least twenty-five times and verse 4 another five times. Ten of these quotations or allusions are in the book of Hebrews alone. Jesus used verse 1 to prove His deity and silence the Pharisees (Matt. 22:41–46) and also to answer the high priest during His trial (Matt. 26:64). The psalm presents two pictures of Messiah from the past—His exaltation as King (Ps. 110:1–3) and His consecration as Priest (v. 4)—and a third picture from the future: His victory over the enemies of God (vv. 5–7).         —Wiersbe Study Bible

So, let us parallel this psalm with Paul’s inspired writing to the Philippian church of who Jesus is;

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:1-11

Need more proof of Jesus as God’s plan from the beginning to save us?  Jump to the end of His Story as God reveals the final acts of His forever plan to redeem all who believe;

“Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.” Revelation 19:9-10

John continues;

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING of kings and LORD of lords.” Revelation 19:11-16

ICYMI—Jesus Christ is King forever! Jesus is God in the flesh who came down from His throne with God to heal, teach truth, suffer to save us from our sin, then rose again to prepare our new home with Him.  This Jesus is the Answer we all seek when life here overwhelms us with foolishness. 

Our response is crucial to how we will spend eternity.

We have a choice to believe or not.  Be wise, believe Jesus, repent before Him, and receive salvation.  Humbly walk with God in a new relationship with His Holy Spirit guiding all we think, say, and do so that His glory will be seen in us!  This is the gift of salvation offered now that lasts forever from the King of kings, and Lord of lords.

Lord,

I choose you. I love you because you first loved me. Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, transform our conformity of this world to stand firm in growing our new relationship with you that gives life eternal. Refresh our hungry and thirsty souls with your Truth.  Restore the joy and peace of our salvation at work within us continually as we become more like you—our God, our King of kings and Lord of lords!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  May all who read this give you glory! 

In Jesus Name, Amen

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WHEN DARKNESS CHANGES OUR PERCEPTION

Posted on July 31, 2026 by randscallawayffm

Nobody likes me
Everybody hates me
Guess I’ll go eat worms
Big, fat, juicy ones
Long, thin, slimey ones
Itsy bitsy, fuzzy wuzzy worms

Down goes the first one
Down goes the second one
Oh, how they wiggle and squirm!
Big, fat, juicy ones
Long, thin, slimey ones
Itsy bitsy, fuzzy wuzzy worms

Up comes the first one
Up comes the second one
Oh, how they wiggle and squirm!
Big, fat, juicy ones
Long, thin, slimey ones
Itsy bitsy, fuzzy wuzzy worms
Nobody likes me
Everybody hates me
Guess I’ll go eat worms!

Source: Musixmatch, Songwriters: Willie White, Nobody Likes Me (Think I’ll Go Eat Worms) lyrics © Swing Beat Songs, Ole Purple Cape Music, Chicken Baby Songs, Clean Up Your Office Songs

What an awesome child’s song, right?!  Maybe I’m making light of David’s predicament with his enemies; but it seems David is demanding that God take care of those who hate him.  David also outlines vividly what should be done to his enemies who no longer respect him! David is down, perplexed, betrayed, confused, so he honestly goes before God to see what He can do for him.  It is okay to be honest before God for God knows what is in our hearts before we speak a word, but it is not okay to dwell in the darkness when we think God is not acting on our behalf in the ways we think He should at the right time. 

God is sovereign and knows exactly what we need when we need it most.  And one more thought, God might be transforming us in a circumstance that we cannot change.  I’ve seen, heard, and experienced this with myself! 

Instead of “eating worms” of worry that self-implodes our inner peace with God or reacting with self-destructive tactics of revenge because of fear and disappointment of not being liked and revered by all.  Instead, let us look up to our God and shower Him with thanks for always being with us, protecting and providing for us, while remembering all the ways He has rescued us in the past and present.  May our hearts be emptied of bitterness as we leave the warzone of hate to be filled with the love of God who knows no bounds in His love for us. 

May we cry out for wisdom but close our prayers as Jesus did; May your will, not mine, be done.  Jesus demonstrated how we need to respond to those who hate, slander, abuse, lie with efforts to kill our reputations with his entire life on earth.  While others accused falsely; He was silent.  Jesus put others interest ahead of his own.  He laid down His equality with God to walk in human skin so others could see, hear, touch, the living God. How deep the Father’s love for us…

Psalm 109

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.


1-5 My God, don’t turn a deaf ear to my hallelujah prayer.
    Liars are pouring out invective on me;
Their lying tongues are like a pack of dogs out to get me,
    barking their hate, nipping my heels—and for no reason!
I loved them and now they slander me—yes, me!—
    and treat my prayer like a crime;
They return my good with evil,
    they return my love with hate.

6-20 Send the Evil One to accuse my accusing judge;
    dispatch Satan to prosecute him.
When he’s judged, let the verdict be “Guilty,”
    and when he prays, let his prayer turn to sin.
Give him a short life,
    and give his job to somebody else.
Make orphans of his children,
    dress his wife in widow’s black;
Turn his children into begging street urchins,
    evicted from their homes—homeless.
May the bank foreclose and wipe him out,
    and strangers, like vultures, pick him clean.
May there be no one around to help him out,
    no one willing to give his orphans a break.
Chop down his family tree
    so that nobody even remembers his name.
But erect a memorial to the sin of his father,
    and make sure his mother’s name is there, too—
Their sins recorded forever before God,
    but they themselves sunk in oblivion.
That’s all he deserves since he was never once kind,
    hounded the afflicted and heartbroken to their graves.

Since he loved cursing so much,
    let curses rain down;
Since he had no taste for blessing,
    let blessings flee far from him.
He dressed up in curses like a fine suit of clothes;
    he drank curses, took his baths in curses.
So give him a gift—a costume of curses;
    he can wear curses every day of the week!
That’s what they’ll get, those out to get me—
    an avalanche of just deserts from God.

21-25 Oh, God, my Lord, step in;
    work a miracle for me—you can do it!
Get me out of here—your love is so great!—
    I’m at the end of my rope, my life in ruins.
I’m fading away to nothing, passing away,
    my youth gone, old before my time.
I’m weak from hunger and can hardly stand up,
    my body a rack of skin and bones.
I’m a joke in poor taste to those who see me;
    they take one look and shake their heads.

26-29 Help me, oh help me, God, my God,
    save me through your wonderful love;
Then they’ll know that your hand is in this,
    that you, God, have been at work.
Let them curse all they want;
    you do the blessing.
Let them be jeered by the crowd when they stand up,
    followed by cheers for me, your servant.
Dress my accusers in clothes dirty with shame,
    discarded and humiliating old ragbag clothes.

30-31 My mouth’s full of great praise for God,
    I’m singing his hallelujahs surrounded by crowds,
For he’s always at hand to take the side of the needy,
    to rescue a life from the unjust judge.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We learn from Bible scholars that David’s enemies hated him so they falsely accused cursed him (v. 17–19). David’s attempts to return good for evil failed, and the wicked showed him no mercy.  So, David responds by taking his case to God.  But David felt God was not listening as quickly as he thought He should.

Often, we cry out to Him but nothing seems to happen—we think. How do we respond when God does not act as quickly as we think he should?  David reminded the Lord that he did not pray only when he needed help, for he praised the Lord often and thanked Him for His mercies.  But, bargaining with God or telling him how good we are is not the way to God. 

Warren Wiersbe writes with another viewpoint to consider;

God was silent but the enemy was vocal, speaking hateful, lying words and accusing David of crimes he had never committed. The word translated “accusers” (vv. 6, 20, 29), or sometimes “adversaries,” gives us the English word “Satan,” one of the names of the Devil (see 38:20; 71:13; Job 1–2; Zech. 3). Satan is the accuser (Rev. 12:10) and the adversary of believers (1 Pet. 5:8), and he uses people to accomplish this work.”—Wiersbe Study Bible

David’s enemies were unfairly asking God to crush him. In response, David simply asked God to settle the issue and turn his enemies’ curses and plans back on their own heads. Years later, the prophet Jeremiah prayed a similar prayer against the enemies who wanted to kill him (Jer. 18:18–23), and the Lord did not rebuke him.  God knows what is going on and though our trial may not turn out as we expect; God will rescue us from the judgements of others.

At the end of David’s lament; we learn a lesson in humbly ourselves before God when we feel unfairly accused in circumstances out of our control.  As a faithful son of the covenant, David had a right to ask God for the help he needed. His desire was that God might be glorified by showing mercy to His servant. He wanted God to do some wonderful thing that only He could do so his enemies would know that Jehovah was fighting David’s battles. Like David, we can cry out to God for help.  Always.

Avoid eating worms and wait on God!

Finally, David promised to praise the Lord and give glory to Him when all these trials were ended, and he did. After David had been made king over all Israel, he brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem and sought to honor the Lord (2 Samuel 5–6). God did help David, in His own time and His own way.  God will do it again and again for us!

Lord,

Thank you for conviction and correction as we seek you this morning through communion and reading your Word. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for always leading us to truth. Thank you, Jesus for saving our souls and making us whole. Cleanse our hearts, remove what does not belong. Renew our minds, transform our thinking. Refresh our souls with your new mercies for today and restore the joy and peace of your salvation at work within us.  To you be the glory, honor, and praise!  May Your Will be done in all the details of our lives today and always.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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WITH GOD—WE GAIN!

Posted on July 29, 2026 by randscallawayffm

Each morning, I read the psalm of the day from the New International Version first; then I turn to the Message paraphrase from Eugene Peterson, Bible Scholar and pastor who put the songs of David, Asaph, and others into the language of his congregation so that could use the words for easy praise and pray.  It is not lost on us that David, the shepherd boy who became the anointed King of Israel, went before God before going to battle!  David knew God personally and was known far and wide as a man who ran after the heart of God, as scriptures say.  David knew this truth; that with God, he would gain victory over the enemy who sought to destroy God’s people. 

How well do we know God personally?  Do we have the blessed assurance that David demonstrated before battling the enemies of God?  Do we begin each day going before Him, seeking His wisdom, standing on His promises, with surrender to His will?  Do we seek God’s wisdom for battle as we put on our weapons of power from God as protection from the “chief among liars”?  Satan, the fallen angel, is God’s Number One Enemy with limited power, but enough power with an army of demons who seek to distract us from God with deceptive thinking about God with the sole purpose to dissolve our faith in our Almighty God.  God sent Jesus to battle this annoying enemy of our souls once and for all and has already won the war against him.  The cross did not defeat Jesus, for God raised His Son from death to life, scars and all, so He could walk among the disciples for forty more days on earth to prove God’s victory over death! This is amazing power, love, mercy, and grace! 

Yes, there is no one greater than our God!  There is no one who loves like He loves us. There is no one, not even Satan, who can defeat God for God has already won the battle with his fallen angel from heaven.  But as you know, as we still live in our imperfect, fallen world, because of Adam and Eve’s sin; the first humans who fell for the deceptive practices of our enemy.  Satan tenaciously continues to cause troubles in this life among God’s created humans.  Satan’s desire is to destroy our faith, deceive with what looks like God but is not, while causing division among God’s people with efforts to take our souls committed to God in daily skirmishes in a battle already won. Inspired by God and saved by the blood of Jesus, the Apostle Paul reminded the faithfully committed;

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”—Ephesians 6:12 

Jesus promises to be with us always in all the details of this life on earth with an ironclad promise to be the One and Only who redeems all who believe and who is the Only way to God.  Just before allowing Himself to be arrested, rebuked and accused by the religious, spit on by Roman guards, and whipped beyond recognition before going to the cross to be crucified in shame among sinners; Jesus tells his followers they will have peace in him, face trouble in the world, but to take courage because he has won the victory.

Jesus, Son of Man, knew pain and suffering.  Jesus, Son of God, also knew that everything that happens on earth is merely a moment in the battle to redeem us from our sins and gain life eternally with God.  With God—We gain! Jesus is the Victor who overcomes the world!  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”—Jesus, John 16:33

Psalm 108, The Message

A song. A psalm of David.

1-2 I’m ready, God, so ready,
    ready from head to toe.
Ready to sing,
    ready to raise a God-song:
“Wake, soul! Wake, lute!
    Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!”

3-6 I’m thanking you, God, out in the streets,
    singing your praises in town and country.
The deeper your love, the higher it goes;
    every cloud’s a flag to your faithfulness.
Soar high in the skies, O God!
    Cover the whole earth with your glory!
And for the sake of the one you love so much,
    reach down and help me—answer me!

7-9 That’s when God spoke in holy splendor:
    “Brimming over with joy,
I make a present of Shechem,
    I hand out Succoth Valley as a gift.
Gilead’s in my pocket,
    to say nothing of Manasseh.
Ephraim’s my hard hat,
    Judah my hammer.
Moab’s a scrub bucket—
    I mop the floor with Moab,
Spit on Edom,
    rain fireworks all over Philistia.”

10-11 Who will take me to the thick of the fight?
    Who’ll show me the road to Edom?
You aren’t giving up on us, are you, God?
    refusing to go out with our troops?

12-13 Give us help for the hard task;
    human help is worthless.
In God we’ll do our very best;
    he’ll flatten the opposition for good.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We learn that we are in a daily battle for our souls by a powerful opponent.  We respond to the battle by realizing first that the war has already been won by Jesus Christ, Redeemer, Savior and Lord of our lives who has all power! 

We learn that we will deal with daily skirmishes with our number one enemy who needles our thoughts with nothing but evil to make us fall forever.  We respond like Jesus did when tempted in the desert; with the Truth of God’s Word!  For With God—We gain! 

We learn we need help!  We cannot do life without God’s Holy Spirit power living in us!  God gives all we need to combat our enemy, Satan.  We respond by listening, trusting, and obeying by putting on our spiritual armor, surrendering to God’s will and power to overcome, and all the while praying for each other with faith in God with His love flowing from us. With faith, we relax.  For Jesus has and will overcome the enemy.

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:13-18

Consider this—

As soon as Jesus told his disciples to relax with His peace with the promise, “I have overcome the world”, Jesus prayed for them!  How powerful it is when Jesus stands in the gap for His redeemed before God!  Jesus stands in the gap between earth and heaven for us as our Advocate!  Let that truth settle in our minds today!  We cannot lose!

“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. —Jesus, John 17:1-5

At this point, I can only worship with the psalmist with a choruses of my youth;

In my life, Lord, be gloried

Be glorified

In my life, Lord, be gloried today…

(Words and music by Bob Kilpatrick)

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God, my Savior

Standing, standing—I’m standing on the promises of God!

(Composed by Russell Carter, 1886)

Lord,

The psalms of David, imagining sung by him with others in worship to you ignites our hearts, minds, and souls today!  I’m yours.  I’m standing on your promises.  Thank you for your love and care. Thank you for troubles that teach us while giving us victory!  You are God—we are not. To you be all the glory, honor, and praise forever!  With You—We gain life forever!

In Jesus Name, Amen

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